A pinball machine typically includes an inclined playfield housed within a game cabinet, where the playfield is configured to support one or more rolling balls (pinballs) and a plurality of mechanical features that can interact with the ball(s) to score points and/or activate certain features of the game. A vertically-oriented backbox typically extends upward from a rear portion of the game cabinet and houses one or more displays, audio speakers, and/or decorative artwork. The backbox in a modern pinball machine may optionally contain game control circuitry such as, e.g., a power supply board, a processing arrangement to control game logic, a memory arrangement accessible by the processing arrangement that can store software instructions, and/or other electronic components. The display can be used to indicate player scores or other information relating to game play, and may optionally display static or animated graphical elements. For example, the display (along with associated game control circuitry) can be configured to show graphical images and suggestions to a player in response to certain events occurring on the playfield during game play, which can enhance the appeal and experience of the pinball machine. For example, the game control circuitry may cause the display to show a point value scored, or a gameplay mode being activated, in response to the pinball actuating a particular switch on the playfield.
A typical pinball machine includes two or more mechanical flippers mounted at various locations on the playfield, which are activated by buttons provided on the outside of the game cabinet. There are typically at least two flippers located on a lower end of the playfield (closest to the player) that can propel the rolling pinball up the inclined playfield to prevent it from exiting the lower end of the playfield. The flippers can be controlled by the player via the buttons to direct the pinball at various play features on the playfield, to score points, and at least partially control the play of the game.
A plurality of play features are typically provided on or proximal to the playfield surface of a pinball machine, such as targets, lanes, ramps, and the like. For example, various types of switches can be associated with the play features such that a switch is actuated in response to the pinball impacting or passing by or through a play feature. While playing a game of pinball, the player's attention is generally focused on the moving pinball (or more than one pinball that may be present on the playfield at the same time in some games). For example, a player will tend to watch the moving pinball to control timing of the flippers and aiming of the ball, and may also look at various play features on the playfield such as indicator lights to determine their status, which can affect scoring and other gameplay features.
A major drawback of mounting the display in the backbox is that the display is located away from the player's view of the playfield. Consequently, during game play, players must divert their eyes away from events occurring on the playfield in order to view the scores, graphical animations, game messages, and other visual elements that appear on the display during the game. Accordingly, some of the information provided on the display during gameplay will not be seen by the player because of the need for the player to focus on elements of the playfield.
Various approaches have been used to address the problem of having a display mounted away from the player's view of the playfield. For example, mounting a video display assembly on the rearward center portion of the playfield, physically separated from active gameplay features, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,286 to Seitz et al. However, this display is used for a video game feature that can be activated during the pinball play, and player scores are still mounted on the backbox. A pinball machine having a score display mounted on a vertical backwall behind the playfield features is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,482 to Anghelo. A slanted display provided at the rearward portion of the playfield, separated from the active playfield components and mounted to the rear portion of the cabinet, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,697 to Popadiuk et al. A display system that reflects a virtual image from a video monitor across a portion of the playfield is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,188 to Gomez et al. This system provides some apparent interaction between motion of the pinball and some reflected graphical display elements, but it requires a specialized cabinet with a monitor mounted overhead and special glass over the playfield that has certain reflective qualities, and the graphical images are not as bright or uniform as those viewed directly on a conventional video display.
Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a display system for a pinball machine that is situated in a location relative to the playfield so it can be more easily seen by a player during a game than a backbox-mounted display, that can provide bright direct-view high-resolution images to display scores, game information, graphical animations, and graphical elements directly controlled by the player, that can be rotatably or slidably mounted to the playfield or cabinet to facilitate servicing or replacement, and that can further provide gameplay arrangements.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure.